


Potter-Malfoy Negotiations

by dracogotgame



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Humour, M/M, Next Gen, old fic, reposted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 19:31:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15274671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracogotgame/pseuds/dracogotgame
Summary: It's Al's first day at preschool and Harry is a bundle of nerves. But he's certainly not alone.





	Potter-Malfoy Negotiations

This was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Bar  _none_. Harry took another look at the bright brick-red building in front of him. He swallowed slightly and knelt to fasten Al’s jacket.  
  
“There we go,” he murmured, doing up the last button. “You’re ready for school now.”  
  
“School,” Albus repeated solemnly, staring up at him with bright, green eyes. Harry smiled but his heart twanged painfully. His sweet, serious little boy was going to preschool. It didn’t matter that it was only for a few hours or that Harry was literally one Floo call away. This was Al’s first day — his first time away from home, away from his Daddy.  
  
What if he hated it? What if he didn’t make friends? Oh Merlin, what if he cried? Frankly, Harry was starting to wonder if  _sound pre-magical education fundamentals_ were worth all this heartache. Al was barely three years old. Surely, he could wait another five or six years to…no, no he couldn’t start thinking like that. He’d never be able to let Al go, and this was scary enough.  
  
“Daddy,  _school!_ ” Al whined impatiently, tugging at his sleeve. Harry smiled ruefully. At least, Al was handling this a lot better than him. He couldn’t get started fast enough.  
  
Harry shook himself firmly and pressed a kiss to his little boy’s forehead, before imparting some final words of advice. “There’s nothing to worry about, Al. You don’t have to be scared at all. If you have any problems go straight to your teacher. Be nice and share your toys, okay? You’ll make lots of friends. And remember, be fearless. There’s absolutely nothing to…”  
  
“Daddy?”  
  
“Yeah, kiddo?”  
  
“Go home.”  
  
Harry chuckled and pulled him in for a hug, just because he could. “I can take a hint,” he said. “Let’s go find your teacher then.”  
  
Harry straightened himself and turned around. Immediately, a flash of blond caught his eye. Harry halted abruptly and automatically drew Al to a stop.  
  
“And remember, I’m just an owl away,” Malfoy was saying. The little blond he was talking to slumped his tiny shoulders and heaved a weary sigh. Clearly, this had been going on for a while. Evidently, Malfoy was too anxious to take note of his son’s impatience or even Harry standing a few feet away. He ran a flustered hand through his hair and knelt down in front of the little blond. “Be nice to everyone,” he advised softly. “Share your toys. Don’t fight but don’t let anyone push you around either. And above all, be fearless. You’re a Malfoy, Scorpius. You…”  
  
“Fadder,” Scorpius interrupted rather decisively.  
  
“Yes, son?”  
  
“Bye.”  
  
Malfoy’s lips twitched with amusement. “Brat,” he murmured fondly. “You’ll do just fine. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise.”  
  
Later, Harry would wonder why he spoke up. Perhaps, it was empathy. Possibly, curiosity. Or maybe— and this was decidedly harder to admit— it was because, like Harry, Malfoy didn’t have a ring on his finger. Either way, Harry felt somewhat compelled to announce his presence. “It’s harder for us than them, isn’t it?”  
  
Both blonds turned around. Malfoy’s eyes flashed with recognition, wariness and then mild curiosity, all in that order.  
  
“Potter,” he greeted carefully.  
  
“Malfoy.”  
  
Harry offered a smile and Malfoy relaxed slightly, his rigid frame easing out a bit. His eyes strayed to Albus and a pale brow rose in apparent interest. Al blinked at him and Malfoy’s lips twitched. “I see you have your hands full too,” he quipped.  
  
Harry chuckled. “He can’t get rid of me fast enough.”  
  
“This one too,” Malfoy replied with a smirk, gesturing to his son. Scorpius wasn’t paying them much attention. His wide grey eyes were fixed on Al. Al was staring back with interest and somehow, Harry sensed that this was an important moment. He stilled and watched in anxious silence, vaguely noting that Malfoy was doing the same.  
  
“Hi,” Al greeted, releasing Harry’s sleeve and taking a cautious step ahead.  
  
“H’lo,” Scorpius mumbled, detaching himself from Malfoy.  
  
Al blinked earnestly. “Play?”  
  
Scorpius nodded back, looking nervous but eager. “Kay.”  
  
Al grinned happily. “Slide!” he announced decisively.  
  
Scorpius cocked his head, considering the proposal carefully. He turned to his father. Malfoy offered a brief nod for reassurance but made no move to step in. Scorpius turned back to Al. “See-saw first,” he challenged. Harry suppressed a chuckle. Clearly, someone was taking that  _don’t get pushed around_ advice very seriously.  
  
Al seemed a bit surprised at the counter-offer. He regarded Scorpius carefully and his little brow furrowed as he tried to work out this perplexing situation. Harry could swear he saw the exact moment when Al realized he would have to work to get his way this time.  
  
“Okay,” he replied, nodding slowly. “ _Then_ slide?”  
  
“Then slide,” Scorpius agreed solemnly. And just like that, the negotiations were done with. Al held out his hand and Scorpius took it, and then they were running off into the playground without as much as a backward glance.  
  
“Oi! Hang on!” Harry called out.  
  
“Don’t you want us to speak to your teacher?” Malfoy asked. Not  _me. Us._ Harry couldn't help thinking that  _us_ had a nice ring to it.  
  
The boys turned back and regarded their fathers with clear exasperation. “Bye,” they chorused, before exchanging conspiring giggles and taking off again. Harry was left, blinking in the dust with Malfoy.  
  
“That went well,” he remarked finally.  
  
Malfoy smirked. “We might have to arrange a few play dates in the near future,” he said. He was watching their sons as they jumped on the see-saw. Al rose up in the air with a whoop of delight and Scorpius giggled. Malfoy’s eyes softened at the sight and Harry reacted on impulse.  
  
“Play dates sound like a great idea,” he agreed. “Shall we discuss it? Maybe over coffee?”  
  
Malfoy cocked his head, looking a lot like Scorpius. Harry swallowed and wondered if Al had felt this nervous a few minutes back. Then Malfoy smiled and his grey eyes glinted with mischief. “Sandwiches first,” he replied, with the slightest touch of defiance. He crossed his arms as if daring Harry to refute him.  
  
Harry's lips twitched. “Of course. Then coffee?”  
  
“Then coffee,” Malfoy agreed with a smirk.  
  
Harry succumbed to a grin.  
  
Perhaps, they could learn something from their sons after all. 


End file.
